


No Strings Attached

by Ononymous



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Not Serious, Pinnochio References, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 19:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14879772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ononymous/pseuds/Ononymous
Summary: Sometimes wishing on a star gets results. In this case, Flowey's self-exile is interrupted by the results of such a wish, and he is given a golden opportunity to become his true self once again. It can't be that hard.Really, it can't be hard.





	No Strings Attached

It was quiet today. Really, it was quiet most days since the barrier broke. This was especially around the bed of flowers, where one stood out among the others, even when he wasn't running his mouth. Not that he did that much anymore. He had nobody to run his mouth to, and that suited him fine. Or at least he thought it suited him fine. He second guessed himself a lot nowadays. Intellectually he could reconstruct his decision to remain alone with reasonable accuracy, but the emotional reasoning escaped him. This dissonance led to a few infractions of his new code, and he'd tried to talk to the stray Froggit that occasionally ventured this deeply into the Ruins, but it wasn't exactly a meaningful conversation. All he got was a dull disappointment. As time went on he found the quiet days preferable to reaching out to anyone. Right now he felt nothing. It was probably something akin to being at peace. If the lack of turmoil or guilt or outright violence was enough to be considered peace.

His mute brethren continued to gaze as his petals bent downwards. He'd done a good job looking after them, he thought. They didn't give him any sass at least, so he must be doing something right. It was pretty tedious, though after his previous attempts at staving off boredom actual tedium was a refreshing change. Or at least that's what he told himself. Oh well, too early in the afternoon to have another existential funk, he'd better-

Something halted his train of thought. A light, growing brighter and brighter. It wasn't the sun, or at least he hoped it wasn't because that probably meant the world was ending, but the light was cool, almost soothing. Or it would have been if it wasn't threatening to blind him. And that's when he felt the lightest of taps on his head. Then he heard her voice.

_"Little flower, leaf and vine: Wake. The gift of life is thine."_

The light began to fade, but not vanish completely. He could see the details of the cave still revealed by it, and at last the source was apparent. A tall human, or at least she looked human, resplendent in a periwinkle dress. He looked directly into her face to see a benign and kindly smile. But it was only for a moment, to be quickly replaced with confusion. The shift revealed her hair was not as tidy as one might expect.

"Huh," she said, "I didn't expect that."

"Expect what? What did you do?"

His voice. It had changed. It was _his_. In surprise he clasped his hands to his mouth- Hands??

"Um, aren't you going to be surprised you can talk?"

"I could talk already. Wait, I-"

He held his hands out. For a split second he felt a thrill of amazement, as the hands he'd last examined weeks ago were given to him once again. But then something was off. The fur looked bristly, like cheap carpet. And curious lines ran the length of his arm. Closer examination declared them to be stitches.

"I mean," said the woman, ignoring the child's confusion, "I thought this was a strange case, but-"

" **I'M ME!** "

The change had not just been physical. Whatever this woman had done had restored his empathetic faculties as well, and the mere existence of it provoked a tidal wave of joy which swallowed him whole. A mere facsimile of his true form was already a huge step up from what he'd been moments before, so he took a moment to revel in it before examining his form in more detail, availing of a puddle that had formed since the barrier broke to check out his face. Large green buttons served as his eyes. His fangs were carved from wood and his ears were leather flaps, both painted white. What looked like a mock-dog nose was inaccurately sewn onto his muzzle. Though it was all strange and a little unnerving, the emotions that accompanied it were worth the price. But now, he had to know.

"Who are you?"

"I am the Blue Fairy... 's assistant."

"Assistant?"

"Yeah. My boss is handling a case in Italy, and this came in while she was away, so I'm filling in."

"For what?"

"Okay. Sorry. From the top. You know stars can grant wishes, right?"

"I... I'd always heard stories, but I've never seen..."

"Well a young child wished hard upon a star, wanting nothing more than for a flower to become a real boy."

Tears would have formed if his current body was equipped with ducts. Alas. The gratitude was sincere in any case. "You mean Frisk? They never gave up on me...?"

"Can't say," she shrugged, "I didn't have time to look into the context. Though that might have explained why you don't even look almost-human."

"Why would I be human, I was a-"

"Okay, hate to interrupt, but I've got another case to deal with in Yonkopew City, so here's the short version: You can get a proper body eventually. Save on sewing materials."

"I can?? How?"

"If you learn how to be a real boy, you will become one."

"Really?" He scratched his leathery ear, and couldn’t feel it.

"It may be a long and difficult journey, but if you can succeed, you shall make your petitioner very happy-"

"No it won't."

"What won't?"

"It won't be hard. I know how to be a real boy."

She raised an immaculately groomed eyebrow. "Your confidence is admirable, kid, but-"

"I'm serious. I was a real boy already!"

"Wait, you were?" She really should have read his case file more thoroughly.

"Yeah! I've a lot to learn and even more to make up for what I've done, but I don't think that has anything to do with being a real boy."

There was a soft ‘flumph' noise, and the odd sensations being an oversized toy provided vanished. At this signal, he looked at his hands again. The fur was now much softer and more natural looking, and the stitches had vanished. A painful tug confirmed he could actually feel his ears again. The puddle revealed the dog nose was gone, and true eyes looked back at him with satisfaction. The terms of the spell were fulfilled.

"Golly, that was easy!"

"It's not supposed to be," the assistant sounded agitated, "you're meant to learn a lesson-"

"Ma'am, that case file should tell you I've already learned some pretty big ones."

"But if it happens so fast there might be side effects-"

"Thanks for everything!" Asriel waved at her, too delighted to listen. "I gotta find my family. I'm probably gonna be grounded forever, but it's worth it!"

He ran into the darkness of the Ruins. The assistant tutted at the entirely unexpected resolution.

"Well I hope that kid learned about honesty already. If he starts spewing a load of bull those ears are probably gonna get a lot longer. God, I need a vacation." And with that she faded from the cave.

* * *

Meanwhile, two skeletons were walking down a lonely road from an decrepit pier aimed at a distant island. The taller one marched steadily, but the shorter one was threatening to trip over his slippered feet.

"KEEP GOING, SANS, WE MUST BE CLEAR BY NOW."

"i'm not so sure, pap…"

Sans stopped walking, and Papyrus turned back to him Sans was clutching his sides and trembling, his t-shirt clinging to his rib cage drenched in sweat.

"think this is the sort of thing... that goes wherever you go. i'm feelin' it right now. w-won't be too long before..."

"DON'T SAY THAT! EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE, I KNOW IT WILL! OH, WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE AGREED TO GO WITH HIM!"

"don't stress it, bro..." his usual grin was looking more and more forced. "it ain't your fault-"

An involuntary grunt of pain cut him off, and he doubled over. Papyrus looked at the vulnerable figure, heartbroken at the pain he must be feeling.

"SANS...?"

**"GET AWAY!"**

He'd lifted his head up as the uncharacteristically harsh growl compelled Papyrus to obey. The customary twinkle in his eyes had erupted into blue balls of flame doing their utmost to break free. 

"BROTHER!" 

Sans had curled up again, completely enveloped by what was afflicting him. A single loud crack filled the air. It was quickly followed up by a series of cracks. Something solid, perhaps bone, had decided it wanted to be a different shape, and was fulfilling this desire in what must have been agony to the owner of those bones. Papyrus couldn't begin to make out what was happening to his brother, for he was now thrashing and flailing. Only fiddling with the hem of his cape offered any solace, all sense of potential danger overwritten by fraternal love as the agonising transformation reached its conclusion. One final deafening _SNAP_ heralded the end, and the blue jacket remained still. For a moment Papyrus feared his brother would collapse into dust, but then the jacket shifted with the unsteady breaths the victim was taking. 

"...SANS?" 

"...bro..."

It sounded like Sans, for the most part. He'd never heard him sound so haggard before. Sans had been too lazy to ever allow himself to be so exhausted. 

"SANS! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" 

"...eh, i think so... hey, can you do somethin' for me, pap?"

"ANYTHING!" 

"got any books?"

"BOOKS? WELL I DON'T HAVE ANY WITH ME RIGHT NOW, BUT WHEN WE GET HOME I CAN-" 

"'s just... after all that, i'm in the mood…"

Sans lifted his head. The flaming eyes were replaced with his usual twinkle. His grin was broad and genuine. It looked like nothing had actually happened, save for the long furry ears now planted on his skull. 

"...to read _donkey_ -iote!"

They stared at each other for a full minute. 

"I NOTICED A SALT MINE ON OUR WAY TO PLEASURE ISLAND, SANS, DON'T THINK I WON'T SELL YOU BEFORE DOCTOR ALPHYS CAN FIX THIS! 

"come on, bro, don't be an ass. that's my job now."

"I'M SERIOUS!" 

"hey, you think grillby'll ask me why the long face?"

The verbal assault was parried by Papyrus' detached cape covering Sans' head. One of his new ears poked from above the cloth, but mercifully he had taken the hint and ceased his braying. 

"I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD HAVE GONE WHALE WATCHING WITH UNDYNE!" 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!


End file.
